Megachurches adding members, growing in number nationwide

[twilight_sailing]

"Natalie Anderson of Georgetown, Ind., said she attends Northside Christian Church in New Albany because it provides "a real-life message that you can apply."

Northside shares many attributes with other large megachurches. Rather than pews and altars, it has stadium seating and video screens. Instead of a pipe organ, there is a band with electric instruments. The lobby more closely resembles a mall - with a gourmet coffee shop and playground."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/K/KY_MEGACHURCHES_KYOL-?SITE=VARIT&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-11-26-13-40-57

[EST]

1. As I understand it, the Shia are going to own Iraq, so the

fundies and freakies have to build up a following to create the next big attack in the ME.

[SoCalDem]

2. Um ....that sounds like a Mall ..with preaching

:eyes:

Guess that "ole-time-religion" has been yuppie-fied.

But snake-oil is still snake oil, even if it's in a Swarovski decanter.

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. Overall, religion is a decreasing trend

Studies show that Americans are increasingly classifying themselves as atheist, agnostic or some other flavor of non-believer.

[Clark2008]

9. Link?

I don't believe that - there may be more people willing to say they're agnostic, but I don't find that it's any big growing trend.

[TechBear_Seattle]

16. Well, for starters...

There is the US Census. While federal law prohibits requiring that questions about religion be answered, the US Census Bureau does ask. See http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/population/religion/ item 69, Self-Described Religious Identification of Adult Population: 1990 and 2001. The 1990 census had a classification of "No religion specified" which was subdivided into Agnostic, Humanist and No Religion; about 14,331,000 Americans placed themselves in this category, representing about 8.1% of all American adults. The 2000 census added the subdivisions of Atheist and Secular, and 29,481,000 Americans classed themselves as "No religion specified," representing 14.1% of all American adults. By comparison, the percentage of American adults who classify themselves as Christian was 86.4% in 1990 and 76.7% in 2000.

Moving on, there is the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS), conducted in 1990 and 2001 by City University in New York and considered one of the leading surveys of religious identification in the US. In 1990, 90% of Americans identified with one or more religious group; in 2001, that ratio had dropped to 81%. (See the ARIS abstract, particularly starting on page 10, Key Findings.)

I could look up more studies showing a similar decline in religious identification and/or adherence, but I wouldn't want to deprive you of a study opportunity. :hi:

[Clark2008]

23. Hardly call that "record" numbers - and I won't be "studying" it

but thanks.

[TechBear_Seattle]

24. Where did I say anything about "record" numbers?

I asserted that religion is a decreasing trend. I backed up that assertion when asked. I'm sorry that you need to fish for red herring because the facts have left a bad taste in your mouth, but there's nothing I can do about that. :hi:

[no_hypocrisy]

4. It's not the religious message that draws the crowds.

It's the entertainment value of the whole experience. They have live music, a feel-good message that neglects an attendant message of taking responsibility for one acts or words, cute little shops (including penny candy for the kids and nostalgia for the folks), a food court, movies, etc. It's more fun than staying home for a lot of people. And it's family-friendly, where it's cool to go out and do stuff as a family unit. It's the equivalent of a Broadway experience for those who will never know the real thing.

[filer]

7. Staying at home is more fun for me.

But then, what do I know. :shrug:

[Burma Jones]

8. Sounds like Cracker Barrel to me......

[no_hypocrisy]

11. BINGO. You have the concept.

[TechBear_Seattle]

18. TAX EXEMPT Cracker Barrels, you mean

What I find so sick about these megachurches is that the candy stores, the beauty salons, the clothing boutiques, ad nauseam, all fall under the umbrella of "ministry" and thus do not report earnings or pay taxes. Yes, this has been challenged in court but usually these "churches" end up winning. When they don't, the business model gets tweaked just enough to bring these operations in-line as part of the church's "mission."

:puke: :puke: :puke:

[DinahMoeHum]

14. I call these places "Jesusland Ghettoes"

:evilfrown:

[KatyaR]

27. Most people with children that attend these things go "for the kids."

All the bells and whistles get them interested in church, and the parents don't have to fight them to go. It has nothing to do with belief and everthing to do with getting the kids engaged.

Not a really good reason, in my opinion.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

5. Christ would puke if he saw one of those.

I find it obscene that a supposedly Christian group would spend the 100s of thousands of dollars it takes to build one of those monstorities instead of using it to help the less fortunate.

Christ spent a great deal of time preaching on hillsides -- I don't think he'd be caught dead in one of those "temples". :puke:

[kineneb]

21. turning over the tables of the merchants in the Temple

Matthew 21:12-13 rather applies here:

12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

13 And said unto them "It is written, my house shall be called the House of Prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves."

Makes me wonder if they ever even read the New Testament.

(this humble Buddhist is always bemused that she knows more about the early Church then do most Christians...)

[Burma Jones]

6. Megachurches are popular around the DC area too

even in the purple part of true blue Montgomery County Maryland...

I've joked in the past about raising my half-Jew, half-Scot kids as "American Materialist" These Mega churches seem to be the actual sanctuaries of "American Materialism" well, besides Fedex Field.....

I suggest a good reading of Elmer Gantry......

[peacetalksforall]

10. Ever consider how a marriage took place within the Republican

Party? Ultra activist Evangelicals married up with ultra fervent inside-outside U. S. Government pro-Israel activists. They had a favorite common enemy and were riding high. What a link-up!

The rest of the Party gave them a grand honeymoon and supported their marriage. Including newly rich, old rich, not-so-rich plain ideologists, and Libertarians. Some woke up by November 2006.

The smell of a bombed out Iran woke them? Dead and hurt soldier-kids woke them? Blatant lies woke them? Incredible debt woke them? Thinking about innocent children and parents-grandparents in Iraq woke them? Believing that torment and torture were outdated woke them?

[Porcupine]

12. "Marching Morons"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marching_Morons

Science Fiction sometimes has the nasty habit of coming true.

The Marching Morons" is a science fiction short story written by Cyril M. Kornbluth, originally published in Galaxy in April, 1951.

The story is set hundreds of years in the future: the date is 7-B-936. A man from the past put into suspended animation by a freak accident, John Barlow, is revived in this future. The world seems mad to Barlow until Tinny-Peete explains The Problem of Population: due to a combination of intelligent people prudently not having children and excessive breeding by less-intelligent people, the world is full of morons with the exception of an elite few who work slavishly to keep order. Barlow, who was a shrewd conman in his day, has a solution to sell to the elite..........

We have yet to be able to deal with the "Marching Morons" problem. Technological society breeds idiots who don't like thinking and don't like people who do.

[Christa]

13. A circus

and the money rolls in :puke:

[seabeyond]

15. we have a 41 milion dollar church going up here in amarillo

blessed are the meek

[Lars39]

17. I wonder how much faith-based funds they get a year.

[MindPilot]

19. Public services, the hidden subsidy

Those huge churches sit on even huger parcels of land. Land upon which no property taxes are paid. But they still get all the services related to that land like police and fire protection, building code administration, contract enforcement (courts), etc. They get all the government support and administration functions that work behind the scenes to make a piece of property usable and valuable but they don't pay a dime for it; the rest of us get to foot the bill.

Reform Christian welfare...tax the churches!!!

[EC]

20. Commercialism at it's height...

Jesus as a commodity.....I guess everything has a price and everything is for sale...

[leftofthedial]

22. Gawdjeezis is half off this weekend

but if you wait until after Xmas, they'll mark Jeebus down 90%

[leeroysphitz]

25. Wal-Mart mentality. nt

[Holly_Hobby]

26. Then it's about time they get back to

feeding the poor. All of their profits should go to helping the poor, after the bills are paid.

[Initech]

28. The merger of church and mall was practically inevitable.

This kinda makes sense.